Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to inclusive excellence and nondiscrimination in its educational program and employment practices and encourages candidates who will further advance the goal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore College is global in outlook and draws students from around the nation and world. The 425‐acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete with gardens, rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails in the Crum Woods.

Who We Are:

Swarthmore has a unique perspective on how to use one's intellect in service to others. Here, students integrate social consciousness with intellectual rigor in their academic pursuits and their lives outside the classroom -- including their careers. A commitment to social justice and advocacy have been guiding principles of Swarthmore since its founding by members of the Quaker faith as a co-ed institution of higher education in 1864.

At Swarthmore, Career Services partners with colleagues across campus, including faculty, to promote a campus culture of career wellness, such that all students feel empowered to explore their interests and navigate fulfilling career paths. We believe in meeting students and alumni where they are at, acknowledging that each person’s career journey is unique, whether they are exploring new possibilities or have a particular destination in mind.  Swarthmore Career Services fulfills its educational mission of inclusive excellence through collaborative programming and our individualized approach to advising. These strategies help students and alumni leverage their strengths, connect learning within and in and beyond the classroom, and prepare to engage as leaders making a difference in their chosen fields.

The opportunity:

The Assistant Director for Communications & Engagement advances the department's recognition and amplifies its reach through data-informed analysis and cutting-edge communication strategies. Reporting to the Associate Director of Technology & Assessment, with close collaboration with the Assistant Vice President & Executive Director on special projects, the Assistant Director for Communications & Engagement oversees integrated marketing efforts and data management practices to enhance, assess, and expand student, alumni, and employer engagement.

This on-site role involves curating inclusive and compelling digital and print content to amplify the reach and effectiveness of the department's initiatives, and often includes liaising with offices across campus to coordinate these efforts. Tracking a variety of engagement metrics, the Assistant Director provides monthly stats and produces annual reports & visualizations that help identify campus engagement trends that enhance initiative and service delivery assessment. The person in this position is responsible for hiring, training, and supervising digital media and data analyst interns who create content for social media as well as clean/analyze engagement and student outcomes data. This position plays a crucial role in aligning with institutional goals and promoting the department's mission, values, and impact. We are a 35 hour per week, in-person office with normal operating hours of 8:30 am - 4:30 pm.

Essential Responsibilities

Communication Strategy & Marketing

• Develop and implement annual communications strategies that promote engagement across constituent groups while maintaining uniform office brand and consistency with College communications guidelines.
• Lead storytelling initiatives that highlight diverse perspectives representative of all identities and communicate impact of the office’s work in formats including e-newsletters, social media, videos, print, annual reports, and data visualizations.
• Establish and manage center’s integrated communications efforts by developing and managing a content calendar and related supportive projects.
• Liaise with Communications, Admissions, Advancement & Institutional Effectiveness on cross-cutting institutional initiatives and priorities that involve Career Services.
• Maintain and update branded communications-related templates (e.g. slide decks, annual reports, email headers, flyers, and social media posts) in line with office and institutional branding guidelines.
• Manage Career Services student and faculty/staff newsletters; develop, edit and public content. Create professional and visually appealing marketing and communications materials, including office reports, infographics and data dashboards.
• Collaborate with colleagues within the Division (including serving on the Student Affairs marketing committee) and across the College, as well as students, alumni, and employers, in carrying out communications plans and promotional materials for events and programs.
• Manage and produce weekly student newsletter campaigns and affiliated website content, which inform students of employment and internship opportunities as well as career-related activities and events.
• Develop effective marketing resources and graphics to promote (Tri-College) consortia events to students and potential employers.
• Hire, train, and supervise social media & website interns, including oversight of project management and timeframe for deliverables.
• Manage website content, structure and layouts; Train staff and student workers on website upkeep and responsibilities; participate in vendor check-in meetings.

Data Management, Analysis, & Assessment

• Distill complex data into compelling visualizations and narratives that convey both short-term and longitudinal insights into office engagement, initiatives, and outcomes.
• Track, consolidate, and produce monthly metrics on student and employer touchpoints, including monitoring of engagement with underrepresented groups in Career Services monthly reports for VP of Student Affairs.
• Develop and maintain data visualization dashboards (e.g. Career Services Engagement Dashboard, Summer Experiences Dashboard, First Destinations Dashboard) in close consultation with AVP/Executive Director to highlight aggregate summer and post graduation outcomes and enhance data-informed decision making for office strategies.
• Assess engagement trends to identify potential gaps and opportunities to strengthen outreach, engagement, and representation across all student identities.
• Coordinate with AD of Tech/Assessment on promotion of FDS and Summer Activity Update survey dissemination, cleaning and serve as project manager for producing final report & affiliated dashboard.
• Monitor and report on student, alumni, and employer engagement across social media platforms and Handshake.
• Supervise Data Analytics Intern in cleaning and analyzing of data from summer surveys and first destination outcomes.

Administrative & Other Duties

• Provide project-specific support to the Employer Relations team and Executive Director, as needed.
• Serve on Division of Student Affairs Marketing Committee and potentially on other committees across campus, and represent Career Services at special events and programs.
• Provide front desk coverage in the absence of the Administrative Coordinator, ensuring seamless office operations.

Who you are:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills and strong attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and projects in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Superior organizational skills, including effectively prioritizing workload and managing multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong cultural competency skills and demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and identities.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing needs and work occasional evenings and weekends as required.
• Commitment to supporting the unique needs of liberal arts and engineering students across all constituent groups as they pursue wide-ranging career paths.
• Intellectually curious with interest in and ability to learn new technologies/platforms quickly.

What you bring:

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with at least 2 years of social media, communications, website management experience, or an equivalent combination of education and/or professional experience.
• Strong graphic design skills and proficiency with design tools such as Canva, Adobe, and/or Illustrator.
• Familiarity with or willingness to learn data analytics tools and visualization software such as Looker Studio or PowerBI.
• Demonstrated ability to develop tailored messaging and multimedia communications content that resonates across stakeholder groups.
• Must have strong computer skills, including proficiency in using Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel, as well as the ability to manage complex, web-based applications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with social media management tools such as Hootsuite or Sprout Social.
• Familiarity with project management tools.
• 1-3 years of experience in Career Services or Human Resources, ideally within a liberal arts college setting or with an employer who actively recruits college students.
• Knowledge and use of online career resources, including the Handshake career resource management system.
• Proficiency in digital marketing tools and analytics platforms such as Looker Studio, Adobe Creative Suite, and email management systems.
• Strong data visualization skills for creating impactful dashboards and reports.
• Experience managing website content and collaborating with external vendors for digital strategy execution.

What You Will Get:

You’ll work at one of the world's most renowned liberal arts Colleges, with incredible benefits, a stunning 420-acre campus, and a collaborative work environment. Join a team of passionate, creative people who work hard and have fun supporting the College students, faculty, and staff.

We want to hear from you if you are excited about this role! For full consideration, submit applications with an uploaded resume, including a cover letter, by October 13, 2025. Applications received after this date may be reviewed on a rolling basis until the job has been filled. A cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience have prepared you for this position. If you have experience that meets any of the preferred qualifications, please include a detailed explanation of any such experience in your cover letter and how it meets the preferred qualification(s).

The market range for this position is $66,000-$74,000 per year, representing the College’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range at the time of posting. The salary offered is determined based on factors including, but not limited to, experience and education of the final selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information.

PA Criminal Clearance Required

Swarthmore College requires a PA Criminal background check for all staff positions prior to the start of employment.

Education Verification Required by Position

An education verification is required for this position because a college degree is a required qualification for this position.

Preview our Benefits Flyer. We offer benefit plans starting at zero cost! Upon benefit eligibility, the College contributes 10% of an employee’s salary to their retirement account. Employees are 100% vested in their accounts on the date participation begins.

2025 Swarthmore Benefits Guidebook

Retirement Plans

Tuition Grant Program

Tuition Reimbursement Program

Paid Time Off (Staff)

Holiday Schedule

Swarthmore College is committed to creating a culture of respect and inclusion so that every member of our community feels a sense of belonging. We actively seek and welcome candidates with diverse perspectives and experiences, exceptional qualifications, and a demonstrable commitment to a more inclusive society and world. Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on any identity or characteristic protected by law or College Policy.